Pre-assembled, two-part merchandise display hook

Abstract

An improved two-part merchandise display hook is disclosed, including new design features of the hook enabling two-part hooks to be manufactured and assembled at extremely low cost. The construction of the hook and its base is such that wire from a continuous length can be gripped and bent to form the outer portion of the hook. The wire can then be severed and bent in a single operation to form a hook-mounting portion. While the severed wire remains gripped by its shaped outer end, a preoriented and guided base member, constructed and configured according to the invention, is applied over the just-formed mounting portion of the wire. A retractable bend-forming member is withdrawn before the base member is applied to the wire, to enable the bent portion of the wire hook to be fully received within the plastic base. Major manufacturing economies are realized.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a two-part merchandise display hook of the type comprising a shaped wire hook element having a downwardly extending hook-mounting portion and an outwardly extending merchandise support portion, and a one-piece molded plastic base member of the type having a forwardly projecting body provided with an upwardly opening socket for the snug reception of said hook-mounting wire portion and a pair of rearwardly projecting L-shaped mounting lugs, the improvement in said molded plastic base member characterized by (a) said base member including a flat, panel-like portion of generally rectangular configuration,   (b) said forwardly projecting body extending forwardly from the front face of said panel-like portion,   (c) said body being recessed from the top, bottom and side edges of said panel-like portion, whereby to provide unobstructed edge margins around the entire periphery of the front face of said panel-like portion,   (d) said L-shaped mounting lugs extending rearward from the back face of said panel-like portion,   (e) said mounting lugs joining said panel-like portion adjacent to but spaced below the upper edge thereof and spaced inside the opposite side edges thereof to provide an unobstructed edge flange about the entire periphery of the back face of said panel-like portion for the guidance and confinement of said base member during assembly operations.   
     
     
       2. A display hook according to claim 1, further characterized by (a) said forwardly projecting body having a flat front surface portion arranged substantially parallel to the back surface of said panel-like portion.   
     
     
       3. In a two-part merchandise display hook of the type comprising a shaped wire hook element having a downwardly extending hook-mounting portion and outwardly extending merchandise support portion, and a one-piece molded plastic base member of the type having a forwardly projecting body provided with an upwardly opening socket for the snug reception of said hook-mounting wire portion and a pair of rearwardly projecting L-shaped mounting lugs, the improvement in said molded plastic base member characterized by (a) said base member including a flat, panel-like portion,   (b) said panel-like portion being shaped to provide parallel opposite side edge surface portions and parallel top and bottom edge surface portions,   (c) said forwardly projecting body extending forwardly from the front face of said panel-like portion,   (d) said body being recessed from said top, bottom and side parallel edge portions of said panel-like portion, whereby to provide continuous unobstructed edge margins on all sides of the front face of said panel-like portion,   (e) said L-shaped mounting lugs extending rearward from the back face of said panel-like portion,   (f) said mounting lugs joining said panel-like portion adjacent to but spaced below said top edge surface portions thereof and being spaced inwardly from said opposite side edge surface portions thereof to provide continuous unobstructed edge margins on all sides of the back face of said panel-like portion for the guidance and confinement of said base member during assembly operation.   
     
     
       4. In a two-part merchandise display hook of the type comprising a shaped wire hook element having a downwardly extending hook-mounting portion and an outwardly extending merchandise support portion, and a one-piece molded plastic base member of the type having a forwardly projecting body provided with an upwardly opening socket for the snug reception of said hook-mounting wire portion and a pair of rearwardly projecting L-shaped mounting lugs, the improvement in said molded plastic base member characterized by (a) said base member including a flat, panel-like portion of generally rectangular configuration,   (b) said forwardly projecting body extending forwardly from the front face of aid panel-like portion,   (c) said body being recessed from the top, bottom and side edges of said panel-like portion, whereby to provide unobstructed edge margins around the entire periphery of the front face of said panel-like portion,   (d) said L-shaped mounting lugs extending reward from the back face of said panel-like portion,   (e) said mounting lugs joining said panel-like portion adjacent to but spaced below the upper edge thereof and spaced inside the opposite side edges thereof to provide an unobstructed edge flange about the entire periphery of the back face of said panel-like portion for the guidance and confinement of said base member during assembly operations,   (f) said forwardly projecting body having a flat front surface portion arranged substantially parallel to the back surface of said panel-like portion,   (g) the upper portion of said forwardly projecting body forming a reference surface immediately adjacent to said flat front surface,   (h) said reference surface being adapted for engagement with a retractable control member during automatic assembly of said base member to said wire section.   
     
     
       5. A display hook according to claim 4, further characterized by (a) said reference surface being substantially flat across its entire surface and extending substantially at right angles to the front face of said panel-like portion, whereby to provide a conveyor belt-engageable surface for feeding of said base members during automatic assembly thereof to said wire sections.